Swiss Chard And Chamomile

Companion planting is the practice of placing plants in the garden so that they help one another in some way, such as growing better, fighting pests or sheltering or supporting one another. Many herbs, including chamomile, attract beneficial insects like parasitic wasps or hoverflies. These insects attack chard pests, such as aphids. Other good chard companions: lettuce, beans, peas, cabbage. Do not plant with beets or spinach.

Tomato And Basil

Tomato and basil are a classic companion planting, with basil said to repel pests and diseases. Basil, especially in flower, attracts beneficial insects, including various wasps, which prey on caterpillars like the tomato hornworm. Plant basil on the edges of tomato rows, not between plants, so they get enough sun, or place pots of basil and tomato side by side on a patio. Other good tomato companions: lettuce, chives, garlic, borage and marigold. Do not plant with corn, dill, fennel, peas, potato or cole crops.

Swiss Chard, Kohlrabi And Kale

Swiss chard (in the beet plant family) is a great companion plant for cabbage family members, including kohlrabi and curly purple kale. The plants also stage a beautiful edible planting with contrasting colors and leaf textures. Other good cabbage family companions: lettuce, carrots, rosemary, oregano, marigold, nasturtium. Do not plant with beans, tomato, pepper or strawberry.

Leaf Lettuce And Sweet Alyssum

Small-flowered plants like sweet alyssum and thyme are great companions for leaf lettuce. The blooms attract beneficial insects, which feed on aphids, a common lettuce pest. Lettuce pairs well with many different plants. Other good lettuce companions: carrot, onions, garlic, radish, broccoli, beans, mint. Do not plant with parsley.

Syrphid Fly On Dill

Dill is a helpful plant in the vegetable garden because its small flowers attract beneficial insects, including hoverflies and ladybugs (both prey on aphids), wasps of all sorts (prey on caterpillars and other insects), spiders and pollinating bees. Other good dill companions: cabbage, onion, cucumber, corn and lettuce. Do not plant with fennel, tomato, carrot or cilantro.

Bumble Bee On Bachelor’s Button

Include flowers planted among your vegetables to lure in pollinators, like bumble bees. Arrange flowers in drifts or clusters. Some of the best bloomers to use include calendula, sweet pea, cosmos, alyssum, bee balm and nasturtium. Bachelor’s button makes a great companion for corn, which helps to shade the bloomer as summer heat arrives.

Variegated Corn And Amaranth

Corn has a long history of companion planting. Native Americans taught the Pilgrims to plant corn with pumpkin, squash and climbing beans. The science behind these pairings is that prickly squash and pumpkin vines help repel corn pests like raccoons and deer, while the beans add nitrogen to soil (corn has a big appetite for nitrogen). Shown is an heirloom Japanese popcorn with red-stemmed amaranth grain. Other good corn companions: cucumber, peas, zucchini, sunflower. Do not plant with tomato.

‘Mascotte’ Bush Bean

Beans of all types make wonderful companion plants and additions to the vegetable garden because the plant roots add nitrogen (fertilizer) to soil. Grow beans in your crop rotation in a spot that will host fertilizer-hungry veggies (corn, garlic) the next. Good bean companions: cole crops (broccoli, Brussels sprouts), cabbage, kale, cucumber, chard, peas, radish, strawberry. Do not plant with onion family members (chives, garlic, onion, leek), sunflowers.

Snow Peas

Like beans, snow peas add nitrogen to soil. They are a natural pairing with spring sweet peas (plant on separate trellis supports to avoid picking inedible sweet pea pods), radishes and lettuce. Other good pea companions: cucumber, beans, cabbage, cucumber, Brussels sprout, carrot, parsley, zucchini and other squash. Do not plant with onion family members (chives, garlic, onion, leek).

Leek And Carrot

Onion family plant members, including leek, chives, garlic, onion and shallots, pair perfectly with carrots because they repel carrot fly. The two crops also create a beautiful combination in the garden with contrasting leaf textures. Other good carrot companions: beans, rosemary, parsley, lettuce, tomato. Do not plant with parsnip, dill or coriander (cilantro).

‘Patio Snacker’ Cucumber

Cucumber grows well with several pretty bloomers, including marigold, nasturtium and cosmos. Or plant it with sunflower and use the tall-stemmed flower to support cucumber vines. Dill is a good companion for cucumbers because it attracts so many predatory insects. Other good cucumber companions: beans, kohlrabi, peas, lettuce, tomato. Do not plant with potato, tomato or sage.

Sunflower In Vegetable Garden

Add sunflowers to your vegetable garden to beckon bees of all types, which help pollinate squash, pumpkin, peppers, cucumbers and melons. These sunny flowers also lure ladybugs, which prey on aphids. Other good sunflower companions: corn, cucumber, watermelon. Do not plant with potato.

‘Sugar Baby’ Watermelon

Watermelon and other melons, including cantaloupe and musk melon, need plenty of sunshine to yield well. Avoid planting them near other crops that will shade them. Include flowers like dill, chamomile, cosmos and pineapple sage to attract predatory insects that eat melon pests, including beetles, caterpillars and aphids. Other good watermelon companions: corn, okra, morning glory. Do not plant with potato.

‘Black Beauty’ Zucchini

Zucchini flowers need to be pollinated to produce squash, so vines benefit from having flowers nearby to beckon bees. Good flower choices include Salvia coccinea, oregano, marigold, borage, dill and nasturtium. Other good zucchini companions: corn, garlic, radish, pea, spinach. Do not plant with potato.

‘Tangerine Gem’ Signet Marigold

Marigolds are probably one of the best-known companion planting flowers. French marigold types help repel root-damaging soil nematodes by releasing a compound through their roots. It takes up to four months for effects to appear, and only certain marigolds are effective against certain nematode species, according to scientific research. Gardeners swear by marigolds’ effectiveness in repelling tomato hornworm, aphids and other pests, including rabbits. Signet marigolds attract beneficial predatory insects that feed on pests. Other good marigold companions: cucumber, pepper, tomato, kale. Do not plant with beans.